Thanks for checking in. If I start blog awesomeness, I’m sure Tiff will let you know, so you can just keep reading the great posts she, Christina, and MaryAnn churn out.

I can see the beginning and end

The problem is solvable

My field of study doesn’t even have clear questions, let alone answer

I can be productive

It eases the pain

It give me the illusion of accomplishment

I can’t wrap my mind around the world

Part of my mind becomes external to me

When I make, the world is smaller, less scary, and I am forming it.

That is why I make.

Pro:

1. the program looks and acts in attractive ways

2. it is a great digital step for textbooks (far better than scanned pages of traditional textbooks)

3. they are giving author free (which, I may try to use)

Con:

1. Classic publicity hype “tech as cure to schooling problems” oversell rhetoric. Easily could have changed the name of the item and had the same claims for over a hundred years.

2. Most importantly to me, the most this innovation will do make the traditional form of schooling a bit better. It fully ignores any constructivist (or critical) notion of learning. Notice it never mentioned students using author to make their own textbooks and the note-taking focuses on fact memory.

It follows the pattern of reform as bettering a given structure, which I think it could do well. It does not, in any way, challenge that structure or encourage students to do so, which is superficial reform and a shallow concept of education. This, like any technology, will not make huge changes in education.

That’s my take. Have I been fair?

For me, personally, it is overwhelming and nearly debilitating since it’s so far over my head, but here’s, I think, a starting point:

We have to radically reorient our thought processes. Though few of us stay up plotting evil, we do spend a lot of time figuring out how to do or get what is best for us.

My suggestion for a start: Don’t take the best parking spot. Even if you see closer spots, just park farther away. Think about the fact that getting an awesome spot is not actually any kind of victory. Scratch that. Consider it a victory that someone else will enjoy. And take some time to think about that other person.

And then it keeps going.

Soon you aren’t hunting for deals, so you can get more clothes for less money. You are thinking about the effects your clothes have on other people. It may even effect how you educate your children if you have them.

Justice in our hyper-connected day is difficult. But apparently it has been difficult for every generation.

Jake: Listening to your parents and obeying them is a way to show love and respect to them. How can parents show respect to their children?

Asante: You’ve got to let me have more responsibilities for myself

Jake: That’s insightful.

I love talking with my kids.

At this very minute I’m waiting for my fifth class to begin. I have a pretty exciting schedule.

Anthropology and Education

School and Society

History of American Education Reform

Statistics For Educational Research

Master’s Writing Seminar

Much like I felt at NEGST, I’m the reacher. My classmates are amazingly interesting people. I am pretty stoked to read most the books assigned and discuss with the professors and other students. Sometimes I wish I would have known how enjoyable studying could be before Grad school.

This has been an exciting week. After a slow month we are starting to meet people. We are still a long way from having friends, but it is starting.

Alright, back to the books.

The nails were bent just with hands and pliers and hot glued together. I couldn’t get the soldering to stick to the nails, so it took multiple hot glue efforts instead.

Goes the

Dynamite

Let’s celebrate

Tiffany has graduated, woo hoo.

Developing professional partnerships
The normal we were longing
Finally living as confidants
The daily life treasured
Work and play deepening
Planning for life’s newness

Every year adds newness
And redefining partnership
Our community deepening
A great sense of belonging
Our firstborn son treasured
Parenting not bathed in confidence

Test again our confidence
In the land of newness
Experiences treasured
Producing transnational partnership
Still there is a longing
Our family continues deepening

Web of knowledge deepening
Confidants speak in confidence
A struggling sense of belonging
Failure brings hopeful newness
Always a short-term partnership
Yet every opportunity treasured

Imaginations and inventions treasured
Value of settling deepening
Ever adding more partnerships
But still limited confidants
One more bundle of newness
Oh, for roots still longing

Maiden voyage of our partnership Yoked across forever confidants
We enter cetus’ water deepening Intensest in a dynamic newness
Fujita brings no place treasured Eden more fully we are longing.

Let your joy be the hope we own,

Our bridge to dreams built on your truss,

So much you have poured out for us,

We love you forever and thus,

Our gratitude always be known,

So much you have poured out for us,

Let your joy be the hope we own.

–For my trifecta mothers–

A minisaga for your happy 28th.

a birthday haiku in kiswahili